THE ARBITRATION LAW.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 170, 18 July 1907, Page 4

THE ARBITRATION LAW.

VTEWS OF THE ATTORUET- " GENERAL.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary EeporterJ

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The feature of yesterday's proceet ings in the Legislative Council was tie Attorney-General's contribution to .the Address-in-Reply debate. After complj.' menting the Hons. Barr .and Rigg oa the views they had expressed on labo'ui matters, Dr. Findlay said that personally he would approach the subject of labour, from an academic point of view.! Hβ was not afraid of being charged wifii" academism. One had to recognise the broad principles underlying the qUestiotu" He emphasised the point that thfrrights of individuals had. to rank eewmJary to these of the community, anistafed. the two latter were paramount: 'We would never have a true commonwealth of labour until we looked beyond lv bour as a commodity, and took into account the interest of workers themselves. No employer should be allowed to engage help at. a rate of pay that would'/ destroy the moral wellbeing of the workers. In trade disputes there -were not two parties, but three—the master* the men, and the State. When the State stepped in, it was not taking sides, if merely desired to protect its own interests. Mr Rigg had said it was without precedent that men should be imprisoned' for striking. .;'•.; Mr Rigg: "Where striking was made aa offence', I said."

Dr. Findlay Eaid the illustration hr proposed to quote would meet Mr'liter's •contention in every way. An Act passed•■ in England in 1875 governing threonines of men employed in the mtuuojiaiVgMworks gave power to imprison' ■wtere they interfered with the community or the interest of the community. This was the only reason for giving, suck power. He did not uphold the putting' of men in gaol because they refused to work. Mr Rigg had said he could not suggest a means , for enforcing awards. In his (the speaker's) opinion there .was a way out of the difficulty without re-. sorting to imprisonment, SnA-he believed, the view would be accepted, when the time came to state it, and, at ttie same time, if it was absolutely , necessary tt> ! enforce obedience even by imprisonment,. it should be done where the interest of the community demanded such acdnrse. Obedience was so essential that be enforced. "■■":'■_:

Mr Rigg: "Can you enforce it?"

T>r, Fiindlay replied that obedience could be enforced. "England had'done it '■- with the Riot Act. He admired the labour man who stood out and said strikes should cease. Men should not be compelled to work until the-full measure of justice had been done to them,' but when he had received that, obedience should be looked for. ■ The Arbitration Act had its faults, but what Act of an experimental nature had not. t The delays of the past, 60 far ac the Court was concerned, would ■ disappear, and with them a great deal of the dissatis- : faction which existed. And what was to be the basis of an award? Somebody suggested profit sharing. Then ; wnatrp! losses'? M, ■'-■

There was no other basis than.thiisuggested by Mr Barr, namely, a stand-' ard which allowed the worker ;to live " in decency and comfort The Eying'wage was the only wage that could be fixed' as a minimum,-but here again he showed; that difficulties arose. A living wage for i a single man was not a living- wage for ' a married man with a family. Some tinction, he did not know when or how,' would have to be made. He believed-' a solution of this difficulty would yet be arrived at. He mentioned it to show the complexity of the whole question:; People had suggested that young children should not be allowed to sell newspapers in the strent. Who were these children!. Often the children of struggling journey- ! men or labourers with "broken" time; Care had to be taken, that nothing which/ would press unduly or unjustly on anyv body would be agreed to. The legislation of this country had 'done; more to quicken the humanitarian in-; stincts of its inhabitants than anything else. They did not want to raise , dasS distinctions, but to -work out a scheme that would be for the benefit of ■tfie' great mass of the people.